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[plumb111]

i love a number eleven cheat story please do tell

[GarrettJ]

we posted up a shocking total of around say 100 off 40 overs at their ground, nice ground with a tree on the edge and approximately 1000 people turned up, including 5 coaches of our supporters, making it a glorious spectacle for grassroots cricket.




these pics are from the next year when they won easy

Match report from their local paper .......

Chasing a relatively low total of only 109, Elvaston struggled to reach the total losing eight wickets in the process and with only a couple of overs left. The large crowd, which included a big contingent who had travelled down from Cleveland, were treated to an exciting, if scrappy match.

Elvaston will now meet Welsh side Ynystawe in the final on Sunday September 9th. More details later ...


they were about 90-8 and the number 10 snicked one through the slips, i dived and caught it, massive nick, umpire gave it not out. batsman turns rounds laughing and saying he took the cover off it. They go onto win.

our team were full of 30 year olds who had seen it all before so they took it well, didnt complain and downed the crates of wadsworth 6x that were sponsoring it. Had a drink with their lads in the clubhouse thing/on the pitch.  On the coach back home we stopped off. Our captain took to the wheel of the bus and drove it off around the service station car park with the bus driver chasing behind!! He refused to drive us home with him on the bus so we stuck him in the luggage compartment for the final 2 hours of the journey.

it was the final season for most as they only carried on playing to get to lords, the manner of defeat took the wind out of most peoples sails and they retired (all 8 of them.) Next season they blasted us out of the water winning by 8 wickets.

 

[Leddster138]

A team near us won it in 2012, Reed CC. They said it was one of the best days out they've ever had and that the whole tournament is really really well run, So we decided to sign up, Don't think we will be setting the world on fire, but cricket can be a funny game !!

We had our closet match against Reed during our run. We posted 153 and bowled them out for 151 with 4 balls to spare. Great game, their captain was a nice bloke - the rest of the team not so much!

The tournament is great but it seems more and more teams each year ejected for fielding ineligible players and taking it far to seriously so I think it's losing it's spark as a "village" competition. They changed the rules after our final so fingers crossed it's sorted out a few issues.

[GarrettJ]

my last game was 2002, the teams were genuinely village and you couldnt enter if you had a pro.

[ProCricketer1982]

We had our closet match against Reed during our run. We posted 153 and bowled them out for 151 with 4 balls to spare. Great game, their captain was a nice bloke - the rest of the team not so much!

The tournament is great but it seems more and more teams each year ejected for fielding ineligible players and taking it far to seriously so I think it's losing it's spark as a "village" competition. They changed the rules after our final so fingers crossed it's sorted out a few issues.

It sounds like a gentleman's competition but your last comment is more what I'd expect. Teams entering and rather than just enjoying the games of cricket in some lovely locations, taking it way to seriously, fielding players that they probably shouldn't etc.  Win and all costs wins again

[Leddster138]

It sounds like a gentleman's competition but your last comment is more what I'd expect. Teams entering and rather than just enjoying the games of cricket in some lovely locations, taking it way to seriously, fielding players that they probably shouldn't etc.  Win and all costs wins again

Well put it this way - in the final my opening bowlers consisted of a DJ and a chippy; backed up by a student, a 40 year old IT consultant and a 30 year old accountant. They were bowling to a under 18 Lancs opening batter, a guy that played 4 county second games for Lanchashire and one who played for ACT in Australia against India. No hard feelings as it was all within the rules (no first class and/or 4 days games) but we weren't even at the races really against them. Great day out but as I said some clubs take it very very seriously. This team also had one player disqualified after their regional final as he'd already played for Northants but he helped them win their match against the Yorkshire regional champions!! You can imagine the arguing on the Cricketer website between Lancs and Yorks fans after that match!!

Pictures here if anyone is interested:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/47290889@N03/with/6117282306

[mo_town]

Well put it this way - in the final my opening bowlers consisted of a DJ and a chippy; backed up by a student, a 40 year old IT consultant and a 30 year old accountant. They were bowling to a under 18 Lancs opening batter, a guy that played 4 county second games for Lanchashire and one who played for ACT in Australia against India. No hard feelings as it was all within the rules (no first class and/or 4 days games) but we weren't even at the races really against them. Great day out but as I said some clubs take it very very seriously. This team also had one player disqualified after their regional final as he'd already played for Northants but he helped them win their match against the Yorkshire regional champions!! You can imagine the arguing on the Cricketer website between Lancs and Yorks fans after that match!!

Pictures here if anyone is interested:- http://www.flickr.com/photos/47290889@N03/with/6117282306

Wow! Great Pics!! Thanks for sharing!

[MattWilkins]

For me the competition is still the best thing going for a lot of smaller clubs. The early rounds are a bit low key compared to what they used to be as league cricket has become so dominant and many clubs struggle to field strong sides on both days and many smaller clubs understandably choose to play friendlies or local Sunday leagues as opposed to potentially travelling miles with half a team to get thrashed. The later rounds in my experience though are absolutely superb - big crowds, tense games and generally a great atmosphere and day out.

I was at Lord's in 1988 and 1990 to see my Dad win it and although I don't remember it well as I was 5 and 7 then some of my most vivid childhood memories are of following Goatacre round the country watching these games in some of the good cup runs we had. I was lucky enough to play in a couple of big games in the later stages a few years ago which was a great experience (although losing in the last 16 in 2004 hurt!) and my 2 brothers played in the semi final in 2012 when we lost to Reed. Devastating but having a run like that again was superb for the whole club.

Not sure I agree with Henry that more clubs are trying to play ineligible players now - clubs have been trying to bend or break the rules for as long as I can remember and with the stakes so high I guess its no real surprise even though it is disappointing. I think the Cricketer generally (but not always) get things right with regard to tweaking the rules to try and stop this and my experience is that for the most part the competition is what it should be - amateur players who play for the love of the game trying to achieve something special. We still get far bigger crowds for our National Village games than our league games and I just hope one day we can get to Lords again. It won't be this year though as we lost last Sunday in the group final!